SHIVA

The Harsingar tree artistically stationed at the corner of Kusum tai’s courtyard had strewn the ground with its white blossom. Kusum tai’s half mud and half pucca village house with a small courtyard in the middle was her humble abode. Sparrows and mynahs flocked around the rice bowl perched on the slanting roof top. Their chirping in the courtyard played the background music as she attended to her daily mundane chores. She would pick the Harsingar flowers from the ground in a bamboo basket for her pooja. By this time, Shiva, her sole aide, helper, guard and companion would join her in carrying out the morning errands.

Kusum tai had a very large family of five daughters and three sons, well settled at their respective places. They would visit her off and on but mostly she stayed alone in the village with the young lad Shiva to look after her. She believed that destiny had a big role in deciding the kind of life one would have to lead.

Shiva managed the entire household which included caring for Kusum tai, looking after her cattle, getting yields from her fields, pulling out water from the well etc. In the morning, after her prayers, Kusum tai would sit down beside the mud chulha to make the morning meal as Shiva would place the cow dung cakes in the chulha and light it up. Kusum tai would make thick rotis which both of them would relish along with some freshly churned butter. It was indeed a very satisfying meal after a long trail of activities. Then she would look forward for the village women to visit her who would also assist her in cleaning the kitchen. She would sit down and chit chat with them and also share some of her own woes.
Life received a jolt when her eyesight began becoming blurred. She was taken to the doctor in the nearby town by one of her daughters. Cataract was detected which needed immediate surgery. Due to lack of proper medical care, the surgery failed and Kusum tai became blind. Poor Kusum tai retuned back to her village home, with no eye sight. Shiva became the stick of blind Kusum tai. Her kith and kin distanced away from her, as now she became a burden for them. Shiva was the only person who stood by her as a strong pillar of support. He assured her that he would not marry as long as he served her. Such was his deep devotion for Kusum tai. Kusum tai was grateful to the faithful Shiva. She declared to her children that Shiva’s bride should be given her sole valuable possession, her necklace that she had received from her mother in law at the time of her wedding. Kusum tai became very frail towards her end. She was unable to do the chores on her own and always called Shiva for all she required. It was a chant of Shiva Shiva Shiva….  Shiva, the pure soul, in the garb of a good Samaritan, helped the bhakta to find salvation.